Havana in 3 Days on a Budget (Plus Day Trips)
Three days: Havana’s beach, Vinales, then Varadero
Three days keeps the 2-day spine, Playas del Este then Vinales, and adds Varadero’s beach on day three, the easiest Viazul day trip on this whole route. It nests into the 4-day , 5-day , 6-day and 7-day versions of this same trip. For Habana Vieja itself, see the Havana city guide .
Book these before you go
- Vinales day tour on GetYourGuide : the day 2 anchor, useful if Viazul’s Friday-Saturday-Sunday schedule doesn’t line up.
- Havana casa particular and hotel rates on Booking.com : book before you land, not after.
- Buy your Varadero Viazul ticket a day ahead; it only runs twice daily and dry-season seats go first.
| Day | Focus | Distance/travel time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Playas del Este | ~20-30 min by taxi or T3 bus | ~$10 round trip by bus, more by taxi |
| Day 2 | Vinales (day trip) | ~183-190km / 2.5-3.5hr each way | Viazul $17-24, tour $25-95pp, or a private car $130-195 |
| Day 3 | Varadero (day trip) | ~140-150km / ~2-3hr each way | Viazul $14-20, collectivo $25-35 |
Day 1: Playas del Este, no overnight needed
The T3 hop-on-hop-off bus leaves Parque Central roughly every 30 minutes, stops at Playa Megano, Santa Maria del Mar and Ranchon Don Pepe, and a round-trip ticket runs about $10, valid all day, with the last bus back around 6pm. A taxi or collectivo runs $20-30 round trip instead. Santa Maria del Mar is the main stretch for a swim and a seafood lunch before heading back.
Day 2: Vinales, the one Cuba trip worth the fare
Vinales sits roughly 183-190km west of Havana, 2.5 to 3.5 hours by road. Viazul runs it only Friday, Saturday and Sunday, about 3 hours 35 minutes, $17-24, departing Havana around 7am; book the tour above instead if your dates don’t line up. A day trip covers the mogotes, a tobacco farm, a cigar demo and usually horseback riding, roughly 10-12 hours door to door.
Day 3: Varadero, the easiest Viazul day trip on this route
Varadero sits about 140-150km east of Havana, roughly 2 hours by car. Viazul runs it twice daily, close to 08:50 and 16:30, taking just under 3 hours for $14-20, with no Friday-to-Sunday restriction, so it fits any day of the trip. A collectivo seat runs $25-35, faster door to door but pricier for a solo traveler. It’s the least demanding day on this whole itinerary, a straightforward beach day on a bus schedule that doesn’t fight your plans.
Is it worth doing both Vinales and Varadero in one 3-day trip?
Yes, if you can handle two long travel days back to back. Vinales runs 10-12 hours door to door and Varadero closer to 8-9, so days 2 and 3 are both real travel days with limited rest between them. If that pace sounds exhausting, push Varadero to a 4-day trip instead and use day 3 as a recovery day in Havana.
Do I need to book Viazul or can I just show up?
Book ahead, especially in dry season. Viazul tickets can be bought online through viazul.wetransp.com , by phone or at the station, but Friday-Sunday Vinales seats and the twice-daily Varadero departures both sell out during December-April’s peak months. Same-day walk-up seats exist but aren’t something to plan a 3-day trip around.
Confirm your Vinales bus or tour pickup time the night before, not the morning of; missing the 7am departure on a 3-day trip has no easy backup.